Nostalgia
by Nicolette13
Summary: Edward Elric was torn after meeting Allison. Will he choose his military obligations as a state alchemist or the girl who reminds him so much of his painful past? Despite it all, what will the consequences be?
1. Chapter 1, The Encounter

First fanfic ever! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do! If you guys have any questions, comments, or ideas, just let me know. PLEASE REVIEW! I wanna know if I should keep going with this story or not.

P.S. – I do not own anything. Not the characters, not FMA or FMAB (Although I wish I did ) or even pancakes. (Ahh, what I would give for some pancakes right about now.)

* * *

As she looked back over her shoulder, she heard them getting closer.

"Gotta… keep… going…" she repeated to herself as she ran. Her blood was pounding in her ears, and she felt the brisk night air against her bare skin and regretted not grabbing something warmer during her escape. She could hear the pounding steps getting closer, and dived into the next alleyway she found.

"Get her! We have to bring her back to Lab 5! We can't let her escape!" the soldiers cried, just running past her little hiding spot.

She breathed a sigh of relief and examined her surroundings. She was in dark alleyway, hidden away between some trash cans right outside of a door to an inn. She could hear the laughter inside and smelled the precious scent of meat.

"What I wouldn't give for some food right about now…" She hadn't eaten in over a week, and was ready to collapse from hunger and exhaustion. Her eyes began to droop and she fought to keep them open. Eventually she gave up the fight and submitted to the darkness. As she drifted off, she had the dream again.

* * *

"Ready, nii-san?"

"Yeah, but are you sure about this Allison?"

"We are doing this for father…don't turn back on me now."

They placed their hands on the ground, and the floor began to glow. Next thing Allison knew, her brother was gone, and so was her left hand. She screamed, staring at her missing extremity that was spurting blood. She heard ragged breathing over towards the center of the room, and she let her gaze drift over there.

As for what she saw, there were no words.

She sobbed, crawling over towards her brother's now empty clothes, "Nii-san! Nii-san! Please don't leave me here! I need you! You promised me that you'd always be here for me! NII-SAN!"

* * *

The dream ended with a blinding flash of light. She woke with a start, staring up into the face of an angel. Well, at least something close to an angel. He had blond hair and strikingly gold eyes. She could see his hair, tied back into a long braid, not in the usual style guys wore it these days.

"Hey Al, do you think she's dead?"

"Look brother! She's waking up!"

The angel turned back to her and held out his hand. "Need a hand?"

"Thanks," she said as she attempted to stand up. All of a sudden, a rush of vertigo overtook her and she nearly collapsed that is until gentle, yet strong hands caught her.

"Hey, are you alright?" the golden boy looked down at her, with general concern in his eyes as he held her.

"I'm alright," she told him as she straightened up, "I'm just a bit hungry… I haven't eaten in at least a week. Where are we anyway?"

"I have some food right here," he drew something out of his pockets and handed it to her. It was a loaf of bread. "I gotta keep some food on me somewhere, or else I'd collapse from hunger too. We state alchemists don't get much time to eat you know." He laughed good-naturedly. "You're only a couple blocks down from Central Command."

Her eyes widened and she dropped the bread. This boy was a state alchemist? Then that means he was with the military… she had to get away from him before he realized who she was.

Interrupting her thoughts, he asked, "So, what's your name anyway? Why are you sleeping behind trash cans? Are you on the run from someone? Are you homeless?"

"I'm Allison. I… I… am on the run from some… people," Allison confided in him, although not telling him the entire truth. "But I came here… looking for a place to stay."

"Brother, I'm sure she could come back with us to Central Command." She looked over to the where the voice came from, directly behind the boy. It was a body of armor that had spoken. Probably one of those guards from Lab 5 who came to take her back. She quickly backed against the wall and her voice became hysterical.

"S-stay away from me! I won't go back, I won't! You can't make me!" She clapped her hands together, almost as if she were praying, and placed them on the ground. All of a sudden, she had a spear in the palm of her hands and she rushed the suit of armor.

The boy cried out. "Al, watch out! Allison, what the hell are you doing?"

Al dodged to the left, but was too slow. The shaft of the spear was deeply embedded into one of the chinks in the armor. To her surprise, the armor pulled out the spear and threw it to the ground. Damn it, she must've missed. The golden boy grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back.

"What the hell was that for? Why did you attack my brother?" he asked her, a note of suspicion in his voice.

She squirmed around, but his grip was a strong as steel. "Y-your brother?"

"Yes, that is Alphonse Elric, my brother. I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist." All of a sudden, he gasped. He took a closer look at the hand he had pinned behind her back. It was automail. "You- you have an automail hand? What happened? Why did you attack my brother?" Suddenly, everything clicked into place. The automail hand, her reasons for hiding, and her alchemy without the use of a transmutation circle all made sense now.

"You-," Edward stared at her with a haunted look, "-you attempted human transmutation, didn't you?"

She looked up once more into Edward Elric's troubled golden eyes, and collapsed.

* * *

What will Edward and Alphonse do? Will they turn her in, or will their own memories influence their decision? (Hehehe sry bout the cliff hanger)

So, was it any good? Should I continue, or shall this end up being a doomed one-shot? Any ideas, comments, or questions, just PM me or even better, REVIEW please! (Winry and I might give you a cookie if you do! )


	2. Chapter 2, The Lamentation

Just warning you all, this will be a sad chapter! Please Review!

* * *

Down Allison slipped into the darkness, down into her dreams.

* * *

Allison called out to her father so she could show him the pretty doll she created with her alchemy. "Hey daddy, look what I made!"

There was no answer.

She walked towards his study and knocked on the door. "Daddy?"

Still no answer. She had spent all day trying to create her doll, and she really wanted to show him. She knew it was against the rules to bother daddy during his work, but she thought he would be okay with it, just this once. She opened the door, peeked inside, and screamed.

There were men in military coats going through his drawers and trashing his study, and her father was laying on the floor, impaled with a sword, blood pooling around his body. As she screamed, they looked up at her, and scrambled out the window as quickly as they came. She dropped to her knees, sobbing.

"DADDY!"

* * *

Allison woke up, and felt hot tears running down her cheeks. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. She covered herself with the sheets, hiding from the world. Wait - sheets? When did she get into a bed?

"Morning, sleepy head."

That voice - it was Edward's! What was he doing here? More importantly, where was she?

She threw off the covers, and looked around the room. She was in a small room, in a nice bunk bed made with white sheets. There was a door to her right and a window to her left. The bed, pushed against the wall with the window, had sunlight pouring in from the window right on to the pillow. She looked outside, and saw steps leading down from the building she was in, down into a square - a square filled with military personnel. There was a couch in the center of the room that Edward was sitting on, his feet propped up on the table with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Where am I?"

Edward looked at her curiously, and laughed. "So, is this how you normally greet people in the morning?"

"Oh shut up, shorty," she retorted, a note of sarcasm in her voice.

"WHO ARE CALLING SO SHORT THAT NO ONE CAN FIND HIM UNDERNEATH THE COVERS IN THE MORNING BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL!"

"Whoa, calm down," Allison told him, obviously unaware to the fact that Edward was sensitive about his height. "Sorry."

"We brought you to Central Command HQ, we didn't just want to leave you in that alleyway. Maybe we should've if that's your attitude," he replied, sounding annoyed.

Allison shrieked, "What! Central Command! Are you trying to get me killed! I bet you know who I am running from and why, so why the hell would you bring me here you bastard? I bet you're just like the rest of the military, with no regard for human lives. I bet you're going to turn me in for some reward." She flung off the covers, jumped up out of the bed and started for the door.

"So it's true then -" he averted his face and looked out the window, almost as if seeing something that wasn't there. She stopped just short of the door, seeing his expression. "You did perform human transmutation." He let one lone tear escape from his eyes, and he looked at the ground.

"So, are you going to turn me in or -"

"No."

There was a moment of silence between them as they observed each other carefully. Then, suddenly, Edward stood up and walked towards her, only to end up a foot away from her. She could smell the cologne he had used that morning, and the way the sunlight fell upon his hair made it look like pure gold. But she could also see the painfully haunted look his eyes held as he took her left hand in his right hand.

Which also happened to be made of automail as well.

She stumbled backwards and stared at Ed, as if truly seeing him for the first time. He took off his red coat, folded it, and placed it on the couch. She could now see that his entire right arm was made up of automail. He then took off his left shoe, and displayed his left leg, which was also made up of the same cold, hard, unforgiving material.

"No," he said more gently this time, "I could never turn you in –not when I already know what it's like."

Her eyes filled with tears, and her hardened exterior broke. She broke down silently sobbing, and Edward embraced her as they both shed tears of pain.

Tears for the past.


	3. Chapter 3, The Revelation

Ohhhh things are getting interesting! Do I sense a budding friendship, or is it something more? Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Alphonse was just walking back from Central's library after searching for a book about the philosopher's stone. He had just reached Ed's room when he noticed it was curiously silent. He saw his brother, his arms wrapped around the girl they had found, both of them crying. He had never seen his brother this emotional - not since 'that day'. He had a bad feeling as he walked into the room.

"Brother? Allison?" he asked, "Are you alright?"

Edward quickly withdrew his arms from around the girl's sobbing frame and wiped at his eyes. "Yeah, we're fine." Edward thought he should tell Alphonse what was going on, and wanted to ask Allison more about her past, but didn't want to upset her even more. "Just talking about the past. How about you get some rest, Allison? If you need any food, feel free to transmute the paperwork on the table over there. Alphonse and I are going to go for a walk."

As Ed and Al began to walk out the door, Ed quickly peeked his head back in. "Oh, and if anyone knocks at the door, I suggest you hide." He shut the door gently.

Allison was now alone.

* * *

"Brother, what was that all about? Why were _you _crying?" Al asked his brother as they walked through Central's hallways.

"She performed the ultimate taboo, Al. Human transmutation. Someone else out there decided to play God too."

"How much has she lost to it?" Al questioned, "How much does she know about us?"

"From what I saw, she only lost her left hand," he gasped suddenly, "but what else did she lose to the Gate in order for her to have only lost her left hand?"

"Do you think-" Al started.

"That maybe she had the same circumstances-" Ed continued.

"That we did?" They looked at each other as they spoke in unison.

Edward looked up at his brother, "But maybe, she wasn't as lucky as us - maybe she wasn't able to pull what she sacrificed back out."

If armor could cry, Al would certainly be doing it by now. "Does she know about us - about me?"

Ed looked at his brother sadly. "No, she's only seen my arm and my leg. I didn't tell her the whole story yet - I'm not sure if she's ready to hear it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Allison sat on the bed, absorbing it all. So she wasn't alone after all… she smiled bitterly. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before, especially when he had pinned her hand behind her back. He, literally, had a grip of steel. He had lost so much compared to her- having lost half of his body to the gate. But in retrospect, he had no idea what it was like to lose someone to the gate- someone like her older brother. At least his brother was still here. She was also curious about why Edward was a state alchemist. If the military was after her for performing human transmutation, why weren't Edward and Alphonse on the run as well? Unless- the military didn't know. Why did he even want to continue practicing alchemy, when it was entirely alchemy's fault that he had lost his limbs to the gate?

* * *

Roy Mustang looked at the pile of paperwork in front of him and groaned. He couldn't wait until he was Führer and didn't have to worry about all this paperwork. But as he looked at the paperwork, one page in particular caught his eye. It was a page about Laboratory 5. He read the file over, and saw that one of the subjects, a girl by the name of Allison D'Louvre, had escaped. She was the daughter of a well-known and well-respected alchemist who had been brutally murdered in his study. The girl was of high interest to the military and the mission was high priority. Apparently, she was very talented in alchemy -

And she was a homunculus.

* * *

I hope you guys like my cliffhanger! (Hehehehe, I'm so evil!) Did you guys sense the irony? I certainly did! I am very frustrated with one of the characters right now - but hopefully that changes. Hope you enjoy the story so far!


	4. Chapter 4, The Situation

Edward and Alphonse were still walking through the hallway when a stack of paperwork collided with them.

"Watch it, you dumbass!" Edward spat

"Ed!" Al looked at his brother.

"What did you say, Fullmetal? Is that anyway to talk to your superior?" Roy Mustang looked threateningly down at Ed.

"Just watch where you're going next time," Ed grumbled.

"Maybe if you weren't so short, I could see you over this paperwork."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT-"

"Shut it, Edward. I came here to deliver your next debriefing. You're being assigned to a high-priority mission. Just don't screw it up." Mustang handed him the file. "What's got you so riled up anyway?"

"Nothing… not anything you'd understand," Ed stalked past him, slamming the door to his room with incredible force.

"S-sorry sir, we'll take care of it right away!" Al reassured Mustang, and ran after his brother, his metal frame clanking down the hallway.

"I never want to have kids." Mustang began to pick up all the papers that had scattered. He noticed that Fullmetal dropped one of the papers out of the file - the exact one that explained that the girl was a homunculus.

"Oh well, one little missing detail won't hurt Fullmetal."

* * *

Allison looked up at Edward and Alphonse as they re-entered the room. Al looked like he usually did, but Ed looked pissed.

"What's got you in a bad mood?" she asked him. He ignored her and headed to the bathroom.

"I'm gonna take a shower," he said, "Al, take a look at that file, will you?" He shut the bathroom door and slid down the wall, holding his head in his hands. He didn't know what to feel anymore - he was angry, he felt depressed, but strangely enough -

He felt relieved.

He was both furious and upset that someone attempted human transmutation and was forced to exchange precious things in return, but he was also relieved that someone else besides him and Al were idiotic enough to attempt it. It reassured him that he and Al were not alone in their journey.

He stripped of his black shirt, leather pants, underwear, and socks. He pulled out his braid, separating the gilded locks. He turned the shower faucet, and hot water came pouring out. He stepped underneath the waterfall of water and ran his fingers through his hair.

It was so hard to wrap his mind around how he felt about this girl. He had so many questions for her… What did the military want with her? How much did sacrifice to the Gate, and how does she feel about her mistake now? Could she possibly understand his feelings, his motivations, his desires that he had felt that made him attempt to bring back his mother? He ran a frustrated hand through his hair again. All of sudden, the door burst open.

"Brother!"

Although shrouded by a curtain, Ed shrieked and turned the other way, his bare back facing Al. "Al, what the hell! There's a girl here!"

"Sorry brother, but this is important." Al held out the file towards Ed. "You might want to read this."

"Couldn't this have waited until after my shower?"

"Just read it!" Al sounded urgent.

Ed sighed. He grabbed a towel off the rack to his left and wrapped it around his waist. He took the file from Al, forgetting about Allison, and left the bathroom reading it.

"Girl missing… lab 5… high priority…Allison…alchemy..." Ed read out loud, "Hey Allison, looks here like you're pretty damn important to the military." He glanced up at her to see a funny expression on her face.

* * *

Allison could hear Edward screaming at Al in the bathroom. Suddenly, he walked out of the bath room with just a towel on, holding some file. After that, any words that entered and left her ears were swept away by the deafening sound of her beating heart. Her face grew hot as she realized she was examining him - his perfectly sculpted abs, his muscular biceps, his beautiful hair… Her face grew even redder as he made eye contact with her, and she averted her eyes to the window.

"Oh…" he said, realizing his mistake "OH!" He ran back towards the bathroom, grabbing his clothes. He quickly shut the door behind him, although she could still hear him through it. "Ohshitohshitohshit!" Two minutes later, he walked out fully clothed, his face bright red. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly, "It-it's just I've never had a girl in my room before."

She looked at him for a moment, and then began to laugh. She kept laughing and laughing, and found him as the most hilarious sight she's seen for days. Her heart was still thumping in her ears, and her face flushed. What was this feeling? Why did she feel so - ? Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Allison fell silent. They all turned towards the door, and then back at each other.

All of sudden, Al ran across the room, scooped her up, and threw her inside his armor. She was about to scream in fright, realizing the armor was empty, but Al quickly hushed her before she had the chance. Edward walked up cautiously to the door and opened it.

It was Fuhrer Bradley. "Ahh, Fullmetal, I'm glad to see you're doing well. Same goes for you, Alphonse."

"Furher." Edward stiffened. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just dropping by to assign a mission."

"We've already have a mission- high priority, Colonel Mustang's orders."

"Maybe _you_ have a mission, Edward, but Alphonse was not strictly assigned this mission as well."

"What are you getting at, sir?" Ed narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Furher Bradley sighed, understanding that once again, Fullmetal was too slow to catch on. "Alphonse Elric, you are being assigned the task of scouting out Ishval and searching for Scar. We can't have him going after Edward while he has an important mission to attend to, now can we?"

Alphonse replied quietly, "Yes, sir."

"Well Fullmetal, you might want to get started on that search. That girl may be closer than you think," he chuckled, and left the room.

"Damnit!" Ed yelled, slamming his fist against the closed-door, "that bastard's at it again! He's trying to separate us, Al!"

Alphonse looked at the floor. "Brother, I have to go, whether I like it or not," he sighed, "we can't afford to lose your state alchemist license, not when we're so close to figuring out what we've searched for."

"I know Al, I know. But that guy still pisses me off."

"Wait, what the hell is going on here?" Allison asked, removing Al's head and clambering out of the empty suit of armor. "Your brother is an empty suit of armor, you lost half your body to the Gate, and you work for the military, which doesn't seem to be to kind towards you. Why?"

Alphonse and Edward Elric turned toward each other, and then looked back at the deeply confused girl. Ed sighed deeply.

"I think it's time you heard the whole truth."

* * *

Hmmm, I wonder what Al and Ed are going to do about their predicament? And how will Allison react when she finds out the whole truth? Sorry for taking so long to update… but I need more reviews people! I'm losing my inspiration! Reviews + me = more chapters = everybody's happy! Also, if anyone wants to beta read, I would really appreciate it! I apologize if any of the characters seem OOC.


	5. Chapter 5, The Confrontation

Heyyy you guys! Sorry it took me soooo long to update! I just got a new job, I've had so much effing schoolwork and sports, it's been kinda hard to find free time. Also, my laptop bluescreened not that long ago- fun, right? Hahah… no, I don't think so. So the chapters that I was in the middle of writing just got deleted…. Sooo yeah sorry if this chapter sucks I am trying to get back into the swing of this story. (Also, at the part where Ed was explaining, I actually had a summary there, but I didn't feel like rewriting it, you know, cuz I'm just that lazy, sry!)

* * *

"What the hell is going on you two?" Allison glared at Alphonse and Edward accusingly, promptly plopped down on the couch next to her.

Edward and Alphonse looked at her, and then at each other.

"Well, it all began when our mother fell ill…" Edward began to explain.

* * *

Allison looked at her feet, ashamed of her previous thoughts. "You guys, I had no idea… I… I can't believe that I was so selfish as to believe that I was the only one who ever really lost anything valuable to human transmutation… I guess now… I realize that anyone who has attempted human transmutation has lost something valuable to them."

"That's why we're looking for the Philosopher's stone," Ed explained.

"The Philosopher's stone?"

"Yeah… it's a stone that allows an alchemist to overcome the limits of equivalent exchange and increases one's alchemic ability."

"So, are you looking for it to complete what you started? Are you going to attempt to bring her back again?"

Ed stood up suddenly, turned his back away from her, and slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn it, Allison! Do you mean to tell me that you think that we would attempt… attempt to bring back another monstrosity like that again? Do you think that I would put Al through that pain all over again? I learned the first time, death is death, no matter how awful or gruesome it is to look at!"

"But why the hell not? If you know that you have the means to do it again successfully, then why wouldn't you try? Death isn't absolute… why do you think human transmutation exists in the first place? Someone had to try it! Besides, if the stone gets rid of the risk of the taxing price equivalent exchange for human transmutation, then why not?"

Edward turned towards her, his eyes filled with rage. However, there was something else there. It was a quiet sparkle, but nonetheless there. It was confusion, it was doubt, it was uncertainty. "I want the stone only to bring Al's body and my limbs back. That's all. I learned the first time that playing with someone's life isn't something for us to mess with. Equivalent exchange is the world's one and only truth. You win some, you lose some."

"Oh so it was equivalent exchange when my father was murdered by the military? It was equivalent exchange having my brother taken from me and the loss my left hand while in return an existence close to that of a monster was born? Was it equivalent exchange when your brother and your limbs were taken from you? Explain that to me, I don't think I quite understand your flawed logic, Edward Elric," Allison spat out his name, almost as if she had just swallowed something disgusting.

"I-"

Alphonse jumped up suddenly. "Enough! We aren't here to discuss our philosophies on equivalent exchange and human transmutation. I have to prepare for my mission, and you two do as well, whether you like it or not. Allison, you and Ed are going to have to lay low for a while."

Alphonse shut the door behind him as he clambered down the hallway, leaving the pair in an awkward silence. Ed looked over, and really saw Allison for the first time. She definitely was an attractive girl, he'd give her that much. She had silky jet black hair, and dark brown eyes to match. She had a light splash of freckles across her high cheekbones. She had a nice body too…

"I—I'm gonna take a walk, I'll be back."

"Please, don't hurry, take your time," Allison rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't worry, I will," Edward sarcastically retorted.

* * *

Edward slammed the door behind him, stomping down the corridor. Who needs her…she can do whatever the hell she wants, but I'm using the stone to restore our bodies. He trudged down the white steps, down through the busy square, and set out for his favorite place- the park fountain. It was a quite secluded place really. Most people were out in the busy square, whereas the fountain was a quiet, sheltered place, surrounded by trees.

He sat upon the pedestal of the white marble fountain statue of Furher Bradley and looked around at the surrounding trees. It was nice, the quiet. He liked how he was able to concentrate more easily on his thoughts. He clapped his hands together, and then touched his palm to the marble which began to give off blue shocks of electricity. He then opened his eyes, and looked down at the place where his hand had touched. In its place was a ring of flowers.

"Huh, just like the ones we used to make for Mom," Edward sighed, feeling nostalgic.

"We aren't feeling sentimental now, eh pipsqueak?" Envy jumped from the branches of one of the taller trees and gracefully landed five feet away from where Ed sat in a shower of leaves. Edward attempted to move back- and ended up falling into the fountain.

Edward spluttered, climbing out of the water, "EN-ENVY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Wow, aren't you surprised? You forgot that I even called you short."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO-

"Oh stop with your whining already, small fry."

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

Ed clapped his hands, turning his automail arm into a sort of blade. He lunged at Envy, who elegantly flipped backwards, now fifty feet away. Edward took a running charge at Envy, and attempted to swipe at him, but Envy was too fast.

"Gotta catch me first, pipsqueak!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Envy, hurry it up over there, or Father's gonna be angry," a voice called out from the other side of the distant treeline.

"Who said that?" Ed whipped his head around, avoiding Envy's lightning fast punch while turning to get a look at the newcomer, "why are you here, Envy?"

"Isn't obvious, pipsqueak?" Envy cackled, taking another swing at Edward.

Ed dodged, and brought his leg around to trip Envy. Envy, now on the floor, kicked up towards Ed, catching his foot on Ed's chin. His head snapped back, and he could hear loud popping noises. Ed turned just as a figure approached him from behind, only to feel an intense burning pain in his gut. He looked down, and saw the blood spurting from the wounds inflicted by the claws - Lust's claws. He sunk to his knees, trying to stay conscious. Lust yanked her claws from Ed's stomach, inciting more blood loss. He brought his now blood-soaked hand up to his face, examining it. "It's - it's almost the same color - as the philosopher's stone…." Ed managed to whisper these last few words just before the world turned black.

"We've come for you."

* * *

OoOoOoOoOoOhHhHh a cliffhanger! Funnn right? Well, I tried to reward you guys with a fairly long chapter since it took me soooo long to update. Well, I'll try to update again real soon. Please review! This may as well be the last chapter if no one reviews! I want to know if you people want and or like my story! Adios, amigos!


End file.
